Hearts of Glass, Twisted
by SingerofSongs
Summary: From Goldnote's Hearts of Glass, Thomas and Andrew get into some bad blood during practice and Laura winds up missing at the end of the day. Twoshot continuing Laura's first day of band camp.
1. Hot Rehearsal

_Goldnote gave me the okay to post this. If there's a positive response I'll finish out the episode. Give me your thoughts._

_(This would be Chapter 50 of the Hearts of Glass story by Goldnote)_

* * *

Thomas sent his irritation towards the snares through his whistle for the sixth time. From the ladder he could see the effects the heat was having on the band. Guys were losing focus as tempers rose with the heat. Missed steps, rushing and dragging were happening all at the same time, leaving Thomas no choice but to stop the band again.

"Snares, what were you thinking? That rushing was going to help us pull back together?!" Thomas yelled, pointing the bullhorn directly at Andrew. The heat was affecting him too, and his usually professional attitude.

"Maybe if we were under better direction," Andrew said loud enough to reach Thomas's ear.

"Did you have an answer to my question, Andrew?"

"Yeah Thomas," Andrew raised his voice for the whole band to hear, "if you were a better director we wouldn't be rushing or off-step." There was a long silence on the field, during which Jon stole another glances at Laura to make sure she hadn't fainted yet. Laura was the only one left with a shirt on (for obvious reasons) she was not okay. Muscles throbbed and whined as she tried to regain herself. Thomas eventually stated his reply, bringing everyone back together.

"Laps. Now." Andrew moved to take off his carrier, "I don't recall telling you to remove your drum," Thomas spoke like ice. Andrew followed orders and began his unnumbered laps. "Measure 34, again," Thomas continued.

* * *

Supper came and an exhausted and terribly sunburnt Laura lumbered into the dining hall. She was too tired even to chew. Jon tried to convince her, but the thought of food simply disgusted her. Although she knew she hadn't eaten anything all day and that there was more practice to come, Laura merely pushed her food around on her plate. She felt awful. _I can't break down at the supper table, I'm a boy now. Strong, boys are strong. And they don't cry over a silly marching practice. . . how will I ever make it through the week? The summer?_

* * *

Another four hours of marching left Laura nearly sleep walking to her room. Jon had invited her to play poker with the trumpets, but she beelined it to bed, not noticing anything but the ground directly in front of her. She didn't bother turning the lights and therefore didn't notice the figure waiting for her in the dark.

"I knew you'd be hitting the hay early, _Princess_," a menacing voice sneered at Laura. His special emphasis on Princess lead her to believe this was not the mystery last roommate, but a problem. Breathing heavily, due to her tired, racing heart, she paused for only a moment before turning back toward the door. But the problem was quick to react, grabbing her from behind. "I thought you and I'd teach Thomas a lesson tonight. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Andrew spoke matter-of-factly, as if the three of them were going to sit down and play board games and eat snacks. Panicked, Laura knew she had no chance of freeing herself after a full days marching with no food. Surrendering to the snare player, Laura went limp in his grasp. "Oh, too tired to struggle _Princess_? All that marching was hard for a girl, wasn't it?" He pushed her to the floor and pulled out roll duct tape and began liberally binding her wrists and ankles.

"Andrew, please" Laura pleaded, her salty cheek rubbing against the tile as he roughly applied more tape above and below her knees. "Why are you doing this?"

"I can't have you running off on me, Princess Laura. Then your boyfriend wouldn't have any reason to come visit me tonight." Andrew flipped Laura onto her back and ripped off another piece of duct tape as she gained some steam.

"We are NOT dating you-mmmph!" He didn't get to find out what he was, because he plastered that piece to her mouth. And just out of spite he applied a second strip on top of the first.

"Let's go Princess, Thomas could be back here any minute and that'd ruin our fun." Andrew picked Laura up and tossed her over his shoulder. After a quick peak to see the hall was empty he headed down the back stairwell and out towards the fieldhouse.

* * *

"Man, I'm ready to hit the hay after today's rehearsal," Chris yawned to Jon as they arrived back from their poker game.

"Ya, it's time for some well earned shut-eye just like Laura here," Jon motioned to Laura's empty bunk. "Huh, she must have gone to shower off," he shrugged. The two continued chatting about the tough practice while they changed. Minutes later the lights were off again and a chorus of snores filled the room.

Equally tired and sunburnt, Thomas entered the room. He kept the lights out so as not to disturb the choir. Preoccupied with thoughts of the day and late because of his meeting with Jake, threw down his giant folder of marchingness and sighed audibly. Tomorrow was forecasted to be warmer and Thomas couldn't afford to lose his temper on Andrew, or anyone again. Feeling his mattress for his pajama pants, he ran across a small piece of paper. Not recalling what it could be, he flipped open his cell phone and used the faint light to read the follow message.

_Be a knight and come rescue your princess from the dragon in the fieldhouse._

Thomas read the note three more times before turning the light toward Laura's bed. The glow was faint, but there was enough there to show it was empty. Then he gazed out the window, where, in the moonlight, he could see the fieldhouse. He realized all at once how smart Andrew was. Thomas hadn't allowed himself to believe that Laura was more than just the fourth soprano to him. That Laura was his weakness.

"He wouldn't dare," he breathed with the ice voice again. Clinching the note in his fist, he imagined with no end what Andrew was capable of. _If he could actually. . .If he. . ._

Not bothering to wake Chris or Jon, Thomas dashed out of the room. Moments later his tall figure could be seen through their dorm window, running toward the fieldhouse.


	2. The Princess, the Knight and the Dragon

_As promised, here's part two. May this satisfy all the hopeless romantics of the marching world. My drum major must be out there somewhere._

_Thanks again to my friend, Goldnote, this was entirely too much fun to put together. Drop a line if you enjoy happy endings Like this one. SingerofSongs_

* * *

"Shit," Thomas tugged at the locked door to fieldhouse, where Laura supposedly lay. Clad in jeans and a gray drum corps sweatshirt and whistle still intimate with his sunburnt chest, he moved around the building, methodically checking all the doors. Finally, he lucked out with a service door on the far side. Just as the door clicked close a down pour began outside.

The service hall was dark, but there was light streaming in further down and to the right, from the field. Andrew had obviously turned the lights on. Not wanting to leave Laura alone with him another moment, he started jogging down the hall toward the field. He arrived at the doorway and paused to survey the situation. Only the security lights were on, so the field was rather dim. But there, on the fifty-yard line was a small figure, bound, gagged and still. In seeing Laura his heart leapt. While he gazed a bit longer he noticed just how still she lay. _She couldn't be. . ._

"dead?" he whispered. "ANDREW!" Thomas bellowed, knowing he was lurking in a corner somewhere. And he was right, Andrew did not bother holding the suspense, as he was waiting for Thomas.

"Hey Thomas," Andrew continued with the matter-of-fact tone, appearing opposite Thomas on the field. Both began slowly walking toward Laura. "I'm glad you could make it this evening."

"Did you touch her?" Thomas interrogated.

"What, touch who?"

"Laura, did you touch Laura?" Thomas demanded, only ten yards from Andrew with Laura laying in between them. Her chest was rising and falling shallowly.

"Of course I touched her, did you really she trussed herself up and walked down here to meet us? You're not as bright as people think you are."

Thomas had had it, he made a dive for Andrew. Punches and words started flying while the rain beat loudly on the roof of the old fieldhouse. Neither of the boys showed any mercy in this pissing match. Thomas and Andrew seemed physically equal, but Andrew wasn't afraid to throw cheap shots. Just as Andrew took the upper hand, pinning Thomas to the turf, Laura awoke.

"Mmmph!" She tried to no avail. Thankfully, Thomas heard her and looked over. At this close level he noticed how beaten Laura was. One pretty eye was black and blood was streaked from a cut on her cheek. She was pleading.

This site was enough motivation. Thomas broke free of Andrew's grasp, took his neck in his fist and switched positions with him, throwing him to the floor.

"Are you alright? Did this fucker hurt you? Did he?" Thomas slammed Andrew's head into the ground to punctuate his statement. Laura nodded and continued to struggle against her bonds, which had been enforced in the fieldhouse with the tape that lay next to her. Thomas noticed. Looking back to Andrew, he continued, "What is this Andrew? Some kind of sick joke? Give me one good reason I shouldn't call the cops right now and have you arrested for kidnapping my woman." He stopped himself, but the whole room had heard it clearly over the rain. _My woman?_

"For the same reason I gave your girlfriend before you joined us. I told her if anyone finds out about this, I'm going to report her, to DCI." Andrew sneered.

"Alright," Thomas got off of him and began walking towards Laura, looking to Andrew as if he'd given up. Andrew took this chance to jump Thomas from behind. The pair landed dangerously close to Laura, who let out a muffled scream. Centered beneath Thomas was what he needed. He reached the duct tape and revealed his discovery. Thomas took advantage his resource and did unto Andrew what he'd done unto Laura. After applying several layers of tape to the floundering snare player's wrists, ankles, calves and mouth, Thomas took Andrew by the collar and drug him to a corner of the field.

Running back to her, he shook the raging hormones out of his system and forgot about Andrew. He could only see Laura now. Running back to her, he noticed she'd stopped struggling. Watching Thomas dash to her, she only wished he could be wearing his cape; he deserved one.

"Hey," Thomas greeted her quietly, moving down to her level and tracing her hairline with his finger, "are you doing alright?" The broken girl only nodded to him as he began unbinding her from the ankles up, leaving her gagged. Laura was grateful for a reason to remain quiet. Trying to compose himself and his thoughts, he worked in silence, slowly peeling away each layer, so not to disturb her skin. After freeing her legs, he helped her into a sitting position and set her in his lap. It was then Thomas gave Laura her speech back, but not before looking deep into her swollen eyes which he found so beautiful, looking for inspiration.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am," Thomas admitted guiltily while he finished peeling the tape from Laura's lips.

"Thomas, I. . ." Laura began on an inhale of good air, but she was cut off for the second time that evening, with a slow, deep kiss from her drum major. The drum major who'd come to rescue to her, the drum major who'd called her his woman, the drum major she loved. Tears rolled steadily down Laura's cheeks and onto Thomas's hands, which held her beaten face. Carefully, Thomas ended the kiss and began, "When I got the note tonight, that you were gone, I realized how negligent I've been with you since I first noticed you, in the stands. I've driven you away for so long because I couldn't admit to myself what a beautiful gift you were, and still are. I should have been more responsible with you, for you. I was so worried about the good of the band—Laura, I love you. Would you forgive my behavior and be my fourth soprano. Be my woman?"

"Yes," the reply came small but true. Thomas pulled Laura into his chest, wrapped his arms around her and worked the tape off her wrists, "you can be a girl tonight," he offered. Laura, crying freely now, muttered a thousand thanks into his sweatshirt. Finally free of Andrew's bonds, Laura grabbed a hold around Thomas's midsection. She was shivering.

"You're so cold—here," Thomas pulled off his sweatshirt and redressed Laura in it. Bringing her back into himself, he coddled and rocked her in his arms a while longer, letting her calm down.

The new couple left Andrew and the fieldhouse, after agreeing not to share their night with anyone. Thomas held Laura's hand through the rain and back to their dorm. As a special treat he scooped Laura up and carried her up the stairs and to their room.

"Hey, how did you know this was my. . .you're the last roommate?!" Laura almost squeaked.

"Of course, someone needed to be watching over you in case you were kidnapped by an evil snare player," she hugged her and smiled, still trying to cheer Laura up.

The knight cracked open the door and the pair crept in to get ready for the well deserved sleep their roommates were enjoying. With a deep inhale, Laura realized that it was she who smelled so fowl. Showering was absolutely necessary. _I don't want to go by myself. _

"Thomas?" she peeped.

"Yes Laura?"

"Would, could-if it's not to much to ask, I really smell and. . ." she stammered, but Thomas caught the context clues.

"I'd be happy to wait outside the bathroom while you get ready for bed, if it'd make you feel safe." Laura could see his genuine concern in the dark.

"Thank you,"

* * *

Laura wasn't sure who poured out more water in the shower, the faucet or herself. Slowly she lathered and scrubbed every sore, bruise and cut, hoping they'd disappear with her efforts. After toweling off, she stood a long time in the mirror with a small case of foundation, attempting to disguise her bad eye. When the tears and make-up had finally dried, she forced herself to smile at her reflection before meeting Thomas in the hall. _Someone finds it beautiful._

Laying down in a bed had never felt so good to Laura. She curled up and listened to Thomas shuffle through clothes. Just before she went with the sandman, he got into bed with her.

"I don't want you to feel alone tonight," Thomas worried, "May I?" he whispered to Laura, holding her close.

"Thank you Thomas,"

"Goodnight, my lady," he squeezed her and they fell peacefully asleep.

* * *

Morning came too soon and Laura awoke alone. Thomas had surely gotten up early to begin his duties. Jon and Chris were up as well.

"My, aren't we sleepy this morning," Chris joked. Laura got out of bed and stretched her sore arms in a YMCA position.

"Hey, isn't that Thomas's sweatshirt you're wearing?" Jon noticed. Laura brought her arms down and gazed at the knight on her chest. She was smiling.


End file.
